Does anyone plan of attending the March 20 protests in NYC? I would
really like to go as either a protester or a legal observer. Is there
a protest scheduled in Burlington that day?
jessie
--On Friday, March 12, 2004 4:41 PM -0500 "Aaron S. Hawley"
<[email protected]> wrote:
> Here's something to be aware of about NYPD. I'm not sure if anyone
> here was in the antiwar protest last year in New York, but from what
> I heard, they used barricades that /will keep you from getting to the
> demonstration/. It's expected to happen again next week, and can only
> expected to be even worse come september.
>
> /a
>
> here's an action alert:
>
>> MARCH 20th ALERT - IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED
>>
>> As tens of thousands of people from around the Northeast prepare to
>> join us for the antiwar demonstration in New York City on March
>> 20th, we need to call your attention to some important information.
>> We have worked out an agreement with the NYC Police Department for
>> the assembly area and March route. At the same time, the police told
>> us they are planning on constructing barricades on Madison Ave. In
>> other words, as people gather for the demonstration the police will
>> direct everyone into barricaded areas within each block, and then
>> use them again for the post-march rally.
>>
>> Based on many experiences over the past ten years or so, we believe
>> this is not a good plan and raised our objections to their plan at
>> our last meeting with the police. The use of these barricades is
>> part of the national assault on everyone's civil liberties and
>> ability to dissent; mounting a campaign to stop their use is
>> directly connected to the issues we are raising on March 20th. It is
>> especially important to protest their use now in NYC where police
>> efforts to contain protesters last year were criticized by a wide
>> spectrum of people and forced public and media scrutiny of police
>> tactics. We must do everything possible to make sure the police are
>> not allowed to curtail peaceful protest this year.
>>
>> The use of barricades undermines our constitutionally protected
>> right to assemble. They break us into small units; make it very hard
>> for people to find one another as they are assembling and for
>> contingents to form. Because the police control when they are opened
>> (or closed) they can be used to break up the flow of the march and
>> in that way make us look smaller than we really are. The police say
>> they use the barricades for safety reasons. We agree on their need
>> to maintain a lane on Madison Ave. for emergency vehicles, we have
>> no problem with that. That lane is set aside precisely to help the
>> police should emergency access be needed. The barricades do not
>> provide easier or quicker access for the police. In fact, sometimes
>> the barricades can lead to tensions and in so doing make an
>> otherwise safe situation less safe. We urge you to stand up for your
>> right to unimpeded access: join us in this effort to stop the use of
>> police barricades at the March 20th demonstration.
>>
>> Here's what you can do:
>>
>> a) Contact both Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Ray
>> Kelly. Let them know you oppose the use of police barricades. They
>> should publicly state that no barricades will be used, and at a
>> minimum they should agree to meet with the demonstration organizers
>> to discuss the situation. Call or fax them TODAY!
>>
>> Mayor Michael Bloomberg Phone: 212-788-3000 Fax: 212-788-9711
>>
>> Police Commissioner Ray Kelly
>> Phone: 646-610-5410
>> Fax: 646-610-5865
>>
>> b) Circulate this memo widely. It is important that we get word out
>> quickly and to as many people as possible.
>>
>> c) Do everything you can to help build the March 20th demonstration.
>> Hand out leaflets, make phone calls, use your email address book, and
>> make announcements at meetings or events you attend. Our strongest
>> tool is our numbers.
>>
>> We do not know if we will be able to stop the police from using the
>> barricades on March 20th, although we do know that we must take a
>> strong, unified stand about their use! And whatever the outcome of
>> this effort is, whether the police use the barricades or not, we are
>> confident that March 20th will be a powerful day as people from many
>> diverse communities come together to express our common concerns. Our
>> strength is in both our diversity and our numbers....and we will be
>> on the streets of New York on March 20th in tremendous numbers.
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